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‘Stubborn optimist’ Kofi Annan’s funeral in Ghana attended by well-wishers from around the world

Annan was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2001, as the world was reeling from the September 11 attacks in the US

13 September 2018 - 15:53
Agency Staff

UPDATED
14 September 2018 - 05:02

Ghana’s President Nana Akufo-Addo directs Nane Maria Annan, wife of the former UN secretary-general Kofi Annan, who died in Switzerland, as she arrives with her husband's casket ahead of a state funeral at the Jubilee Airport in Accra, Ghana September 10 2018. Picture: REUTERS/Francis Kokoroko

Accra — World dignitaries laid former UN secretary-general Kofi Annan to rest in his native Ghana on Thursday, with calls to keep alive the legacy of a "stubborn optimist" to create a better, more peaceful world.

His widow Nane Maria led hundreds of mourners, including world leaders past and present, traditional rulers and global royalty, and called her husband an "extraordinary" person who had a "joy of life".

"My love, you are now back home where you started your long journey. But may your wisdom and compassion continue to guide us, wherever we are," she said at his funeral in the capital, Accra.

His son, Kojo, said his father had dedicated his life to the ideals of unity, equality, love, peace and respect. "The greatest tribute we could ever pay is to follow his example," he said to conclude a three-hour ceremony of tributes, prayer and song.

Annan led the UN from 1997 to 2006 and was the first from Sub-Saharan Africa to do so. He died on August 18 aged 80 at his home in Switzerland after a short illness. Thousands of Ghanaians paid their final respects as his coffin lay in state during three days of national mourning this week.

Ghana’s President Nana Akufo-Addo called him "one of the truly iconic figures of modern times". Many Ghanaians described him as a father-figure and a source of national pride, while his brother Kobina told the congregation that he was not just a leader and statesman.

"We lost a brother, a husband, a father, a grandfather and an uncle. A man of deep conviction who was as committed to instilling the values of fairness, integrity, kindness and service in each of us as he was to advocating for peace and human rights around the world," he said. "Stubborn optimist that he was, he would want us all to look forward with hope and keep striving to create a freer, fairer and more peaceful world."

Current UN secretary-general António Guterres praised his close friend as an "exceptional global leader" who was dignified, courageous and a man of "integrity, dynamism and dedication".

"Kofi Annan was the UN and the UN was him," Guterres said. "As we face the headwinds of our troubled and turbulent times, let us always be inspired by the legacy of Kofi Annan. Our world needs it more than ever."

Kofi Annan was the UN and the UN was him. As we face the headwinds of our troubled and turbulent times, let us always be inspired by the legacy of Kofi Annan. Our world needs it more than ever

UN secretary-general António Guterres

Devoted

Annan, who was originally from Kumasi, the capital of the Ashanti region in southern Ghana, devoted four decades of his working life to the UN, and was known for bringing quiet charisma to the role. He was widely credited for raising the world body’s profile in global politics during his two terms in office, facing challenges including wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Annan was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2001, as the world was reeling from the September 11 attacks in the US, jointly with the UN "for their work for a better organised and more peaceful world". Opera singer and UN goodwill ambassador Barbara Hendricks, who performed at his Nobel ceremony, on Thursday sang the civil rights anthem, "Oh, Freedom".

Annan, a proud African, who Nelson Mandela called "my leader", left the post as one of the most popular — and recognisable — UN chiefs in history, and was considered a "diplomatic rock star" in international circles.

President Akufo-Addo said Annan "brought considerable renown to our country by this position and by his conduct and comportment in the global arena. The outpouring of tributes from the world over is an accurate measure of the man, a man who gave his life to making peace where there was conflict, to defending the voiceless who were powerless, to promoting virtue where there was evil."

Annan kept up his diplomatic work after leaving office, taking mediation roles in Kenya and Syria, and more recently heading an advisory commission in Myanmar on the crisis in Rakhine state. He acted as a negotiator between the government and the opposition in Kenya after post-election violence at the end of 2007, leading to the formation of the Grand Coalition government.

As well as Guterres, the funeral was attended by representatives of the African Union, the West African bloc Ecowas, and presidents from across Africa and beyond. Royalty included Princess Beatrix, the former queen of the Netherlands, and her daughter-in-law Princess Mabel, who were close friends.